Abstract

The Cartagena Convention is the only legally binding regional agreement aimed at protecting the marine environment in the Wider Caribbean. Ratified by 28 countries, it operates through three protocols addressing oil spills, land-based marine pollution, and specially protected areas and wildlife (SPAW). The SPAW Protocol, supported by the SPAW Regional Activity Center (SPAW-RAC), focuses on the conservation of biodiversity across the region. This extended abstract highlights the SPAW protocol and SPAW RAC’s initiatives for protecting marine megafauna, including the recent CAMAC project.